Changes Are Coming

[mep]

My KEF LS50 speakers and stands are long gone. The stands went to a very happy new owner in CA and the speakers went to a very happy new owner in UT. I sold my Def Tech speakers and they are going to be picked up tomorrow. My new speakers have been ordered, but it is going to be awhile until I have them. I'm hoping my new speakers will be here in early May, but they will be worth waiting for.

My KSA-250 is currently up for sale on Audiogon as I'm trying to pull off a local sale where someone comes to my house and takes it away. I REALLY don't want to have to deal with shipping it. So that means more change is coming in the amplifier department.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

New speakers and amps? Holy moly! Hints as to what has been ordered and to come?

 

[mep]

John-I have ordered a pair of the NOLA KO speakers that I fell in love with at RMAF 2012. As for the amp, I will be soon ordering an ARC REF 75.

 

[treitz3]

Nice! I hope they both please your ear palette.

Tom

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

John-I have ordered a pair of the NOLA KO speakers that I fell in love with at RMAF 2012. As for the amp, I will be soon ordering an ARC REF 75.

Major, major congratulations my friend! I love to hear this kind of stuff. Excuse my unfamiliarity with the Krell gear, but this is a change from SS to Tube gear, no?

 

[mep]

Thanks Tom. There is a reason that Carl demonstrates the NOLA KO speakers with the REF 75 (not to mention other more expensive speakers in his line). The REF 75 is a special amp and judging by other companies that also demo their gear with the REF 75, it seems to be a shared feeling. As Forest Gump would say, the NOLA KO speakers and the REF 75 "go together like peas and carrots."

 

[mep]

Major, major congratulations my friend! I love to hear this kind of stuff. Excuse my unfamiliarity with the Krell gear, but this is a change from SS to Tube gear, no?

Yes, John. The Krell KSA-250 is a SS monster capable of putting out 4,000 watts into a .5 ohm impedance assuming it could suck enough current out of your wall socket. It's simply unflappable in the face of speakers with wacky impedance curves.

The REF 75 represents a return to vacuum tubes for me. What I absolutely love about this amp aside from the fact that it sounds great, looks great, and it's super easy to bias is the fact that it only uses a single pair of output tubes per channel. It's much easier to do a great job of matching a pair of output tubes than it is to match a quad or two quads per channel. Much cheaper to buy replacements too which is also important to some people me included.

 

[rockitman]

Those speakers will be a big upgrade. Congrats !

 

[mep]

Thanks Christian. I am excited about receiving the speakers and I hope they do handily outperform my BP7000SC speakers.

 

[LL21]

Wow! That sounds like one great new system! Congrats!!

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Yes, John. The Krell KSA-250 is a SS monster capable of putting out 4,000 watts into a .5 ohm impedance assuming it could suck enough current out of your wall socket. It's simply unflappable in the face of speakers with wacky impedance curves.

The REF 75 represents a return to vacuum tubes for me. What I absolutely love about this amp aside from the fact that it sounds great, looks great, and it's super easy to bias is the fact that it only uses a single pair of output tubes per channel. It's much easier to do a great job of matching a pair of output tubes than it is to match a quad or two quads per channel. Much cheaper to buy replacements too which is also important to some people me included.

What preamp(s) do you have in the mix?

 

[Steve Williams]

Mark

great news buddy

That is a great combination that will serve you well. Now did you also bite on the Odin IC's and SC's that Carl demoed with

 

[mep]

Mark

great news buddy

That is a great combination that will serve you well. Now did you also bite on the Odin IC's and SC's that Carl demoed with

I wish! Those cables are way out of my price range unfortunately. I'm still mulling over what to do about speaker cables.

 

[mep]

What preamp(s) do you have in the mix?

John-For the immediate future, I will be using my Krell KRC-HR. I love the sound of the KRC-HR even if it doesn't have the bloom and some of the 3D that the best of tubes gives you. It is a highly transparent preamp, super-quiet, very dynamic (but not as dynamic as it's wowie-zowie older brother the KBL). It also suits my setup as it has two balanced inputs (and I'm using both of them), one set of balanced outputs and one set of unbalanced outputs (and I'm using both of them), not to mention that you can invert phase and switch the gain all from the remote. I can 'slum' with it for awhile.

 

[RBFC]

Wow! Very cool, Mark!

Lee

 

[flez007]

John-I have ordered a pair of the NOLA KO speakers that I fell in love with at RMAF 2012. As for the amp, I will be soon ordering an ARC REF 75.

Sounds like an incredible setup Mark, I have only heard good things on both the REF 75 and the KO speakers, you are in for a treat!!!!

 

[mep]

Sounds like an incredible setup Mark, I have only heard good things on both the REF 75 and the KO speakers, you are in for a treat!!!!

Thanks Fernando. Based on what I heard at RMAF 2012 with the KO/REF 75 combo, my 'expectation bias' is running high. I'm still missing the REF 5SE and $40k worth of speaker cables that were also in the signal chain though.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Thanks Fernando. Based on what I heard at RMAF 2012 with the KO/REF 75 combo, my 'expectation bias' is running high. I'm still missing the REF 5SE and $40k worth of speaker cables that were also in the signal chain though.

I'll send you my specially-coated, burned-in lampcord wire.....don't sweat the small things. LOL!

 

[audioarcher]

Congrats Mark! Hope it sound as good as you remember from RMAF.

 

[microstrip]

Big changes, Mark. The REF75 sounds really great - if it was not for my need of some extra power and bass control for some of the speakers that sometimes show (or can show ... ) in my room it would will would be my choice.

Be prepared for an ARC preamp soon or later - remember than an used REF3 is a great preamplifier. If you ever find an LS5 mk3 do not hesitate - it would sound great with the REF75, and although very rare they usually go for very nice prices.